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Neymar’s in the bag – but PSG still have money left for Sanchez

The August transfer window is not called the silly season for nothing, but this year’s antics could put anything Monty Python might dream up to shame. The walls are still echoing to the gasps from Neymar’s £200 million move to Paris Saint Germain, but it seems that the French club are not finished yet.

Alexis Sanchez has made it clear that he wants to leave The Gunners and play in the Champion’s League this year, and the conventional thinking was that a move to Manchester City for around £47 million was on the cards. But now PSG has entered the fray, with talks of a potential £80 million move. It is well known that PSG are in the market for a striker, and while they still have their eyes fixed firmly on Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe, Sanchez would be a tantalising option.

View from the bookmakers

This time of year has become even more interesting, for both sports fans and keen gamblers, since the online betting sites got as involved in the “game within a game” that is the transfer window as they did with the matches themselves. Today’s punters can go online and claim Mr Green bonus bets to prove they know better than the so-called experts which way the wind is blowing. So what do the bookies have to say about Sanchez?

They are currently offering only 1-3 on for him to remain at Arsenal, while a move to Manchester City is a 4-1 shot. The smart money, however, might be on the 12-1 odds against him following Neymar to PSG. Interestingly, the same odds are available for a switch to Barcelona, while if you think a trip to Manchester United is on the cards, you can get odds of 25-1.

Will he stay or will he go?

It is by no means a foregone conclusion that Sanchez will move at all, and the 1-3 odds could be tempting. After all, Arsenal have shown no indication that they would accept any offer on him, meaning he would have to wait till the end of the season.

Although he so far seems unwilling to sign his £250,000 Arsenal deal for the year, there are plenty of reasons why it might make sense for him to do so. Sanchez appears to have his heart set on Manchester City above all else, probably due to a desire to reunite with his ex Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola.

Sources close to City’s Spanish manager say that he is equally eager to work alongside Sanchez again, but that time is not pressing, and he would possibly slot into the team even more easily this time next year.

How about PSG?

PSG are on one of the biggest spending sprees in football history, and they are not done yet. If Sanchez is tempted to join them, it is likely to be for pecuniary reasons above all else. In the end, the promise of £400,000 a week might be just too tempting an offer to turn down.